Boat unloading assembly



R. A. MILLER BOAT UNLOADING ASSEMBLY Feb. 18, 1969 Filed July 5. 1966FIG. 6

I N VENTOR RUSSELL A. MILLER 4W7 AT TORNEY Feb. 18, 1969 MlLLER3,428,193

BQAT UNLOADING ASSEMBLY Sheet 2 of 2 Filed July 5. 1966 ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,428,193 BOAT UNLOADING ASSEMBLY Russell A. Miller, 1412W. Woodside Drive, Lake of Woods Estates, Dunlap, Ill. 61525 Filed July5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,652 US. Cl. 21412 Int. Cl. B63b 27/02; B65g 63/00,67/50 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to astructure utilized for unloading a boat. More particularly the inventionrelates to a structure that moves a barge or boat from a water channelto the shore and then may be adjusted to tilt the boat until materialflows out of the hatches on the top side of the boat.

It is an object of the invention to provide a boat support that extendsdown into the water or channel and has a cradle section that receives abarge moving into the channel. Track or ramp means is provided under theboat support and extends to the shore. Complementary guides are providedbetween the support and track means for guiding the support and bargeupwardly and alongside the shore. The support further has tiltingmechanism thereon so that upon reaching the shore, the barge may betilted to cause material in the barge to gravitate out of the hatches.

Specifically it is an object of the invention to provide spaced apartwheels or annular members that are axially aligned. Inclined groundborne reinforced tracks or ramps extend from the shore outwardly tolower ends in the bottom of the channel. The wheel structures havehorizontal beams extending across the respective wheel structures andeach has a pair of upright end beams extending upwardly from thehorizontal beam so as to define a cradle. The wheels are normally withinthe water with the horizontal beams being beneath the water so that abarge may be moved into the cradles of the respective wheel structures.Horizontal overhead beams are slidably carried on the end beams.Hydraulic units are utilized to cause the overhead beams to bear againstthe top of the boat and to clamp the boat on the cradles. Power units inthe form of cables and winches are based on the shore and are connectedto the wheel structures. The cables may be retracted to move the wheelstructures shoreward and to then tilt the cradle portions of the wheelstructures until the grain flows from the hatches. A bunk or trench isprovided on the shore to receive the material flowing from the barge.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled inthe art as the nature of the invention is better understood from thefollowing description and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

3,428,193 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 ice FIG. 1 is an overhead view of aside of a stream, a channel dug alongside with entrance from the stream,the boat unloading structure of the present invention, and a barge onthe unloading structure.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the structure in adifferent position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one end of the concrete base of the boatunloading assembly.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 ofFIG. 5.

The term boat hereafter referred to in the specification and claims ismeant to include any and all waterborne vessels whether they be moved onoceans or rivers or whether they be self-driven, self-propelled, towedor pulled. In the present illustration the boat is an open top barge 45.

The boat unloading assembly is normally positioned alongside a river orocean 10 and preferably an auxiliary channel or inlet 11 is provided.The latter is preferable from a construction standpoint since the boatunloading structure may be built prior to opening the channel.

The boat unloading structure is composed of a reinforced concrete base12 extending from the shore into the channel 11. The base 12 includes afloor 14 serving as the bottom of the channel and left and right handupright walls 15, 16 defining opposite sides of the channel. The Walls15, 16 curve into the stream 10 and wall 16 has a section parallel tothe stream with three recessed portions 17, 18, 19. The entire base islarge being in the particular instance about two hundred feet on eachside.

The floor 14 has three large transverse slots 20, 21, 22 formed in itsbase that extends transversely from the recessed sections 17, 18, 19. Aninclined concrete slab 23 underlies each of the slots 20-22 and formstherewith inclined tracks or ramps extending from the channel to theshore on which boat supporting structures, indicated by the referencenumerals 25, may move.

The surface of the floor 14 between the ramps 23 is inclined upwardly at26 to a peak 27 adjacent the shore 13 from where it has a downwardlyinclined surface at 28 that terminates in a material bunk or trench 29.The ramp 23 of the slots extends upwardly at 30 above the downwardlyinclined walls 28 substantially midway of their length. The water level31, as is clearly apparent from viewing FIGS. 2 and 3, is beneath thispoint of intersection and consequently water will never pass over thepoint and onto surface 28. The actual unloading area is terminated byupright end walls 32, 33.

Three boat supporting structures 25 are provided and are positioned torest in the respective recesses 17-19 and slots or grooves 20 22. Theboat supporting structures are identical and each is composed of anannular structural wheel or ring 35 having therein an outer annulargroove or recess 36 that receives a cable 37. The ring 35 is furtherprovided with a pair of radially inwardly extending flanges 38, 39 thatdefine an internal groove on the ring 35.

A wheel structure 40 is supported concentrically within the outer ring35 and is composed of an upper boat cradle portion and a lowerstructural portion. The structural portion has a diametric structuralbeam 41 and a series of equally spaced radial beams 42. A pair of beams43, 44 extends perpendicularly at opposite end portions respectively ofthe structural beam 41 and form therewith a cradle for receiving thehull of a barge 45. A pair of beams 46, 47 extends across andinterconnects the outer upper ends of the end beams 43, 44. The lowerbeam 47 is slidably supported on the end beams 43, 44. The upper beam 46is rigid with the end beams 43, 44 and carries a pair of hydrauliccylinders 48, 49 that are connected to the lower beam 47 and operates toforce the beam 47 into and out of engagement with the barge 45.

The beams 41, 42, 43 and 44 form spoke structures for the inner wheeland are bifurcated at their outer ends into two outer radial sections,such as at 50, 51, that embrace from opposite sides rollers 52 that ridein the annular groove between the flanges 38, 39. Each roller 52 isrotatably supported on a horizontal pin 53 that extends through the ends50, 51, suitable end plates 54 being bolted to the ends thereof torestrict axial movement of the pins 53. The inner wheel rotates in ring35. The beams 41-44 also support on one of their sides an annular cabletrack 55 on which is wound a cable 56.

Extending upwardly through the floor of the bunk or trench 29 are threestructural towers 60, 61, 62 that are identical except for an operatorsstation 63 on the center tower 61 and positioned at the top of the towerfor visual operation of the entire operation. A suitable controlmechanism, not shown in detail, is provided on the platform to controlthe entire unloading operation.

Each tower 60-62 is provided with upper and lower platforms 64, 65respectively that carries electric motors 66, 67. The upper platform 64supports a pair of axially aligned winches 68, 69 driven by the motor 66through a chain drive and a suitable transmission indicated by itshousing 70. An operator may control the operation of the winches 68, 69in any combination of directions desired and from the operators station63 by suitably shifting the transmission 70. Opposite ends of the cable56 are played over the respective winches 68, 69. A similar wincharrangement 71 is provided on each of the lower plat forms 65 andreceives opposite ends of the cable 37.

The lower ends of the towers 60-62 are anchored deep in the earth andbear against the outer upright ends of the ramp parts 30. The upper endsof the towers 60-62 are rigidly connected to diagonal structuralelements 72 that extend downwardly and outwardly to huge concrete anchorblocks 73 in the ground.

It should be recognized that the present structure is very large. Forexample, the towers 60-62 are approximately one hundred feet from thebase to the top. The diameter of the outer wheel or ring 35 is aboutsixty feet. The rollers 52 are about five feet in diameter. The entirestructure is of such size that it is capable of unloading barges offorty foot Width and several hundred feet in length.

The structure operates in the following manner. A barge 45 is towed orpushed into the channel 11 and in a position in which it is above thehorizontally disposed beams 41 and between the upright end beams 43, 44.Initially the three structures 25 are positioned so as to lie in thebase of the channel with their outer sides in the respective recesses17, 18 and 19. The structural beams 41 are also beneath the water level31 sufficiently to permit the barge 45 to float above them. Suchposition is best shown in 'FIG. 2.

The winch structures 71 are operated to cause the cables 37 to retractand roll the outer wheels 35 upwardly and shoreward until the outerannular structures 35 are at the outer upper ends of the base ramps 23or as shown in FIG. 3. During the latter operation the winches 68, 69are operated to draw inthe cable to retain the boat in a substantiallylevel position. By proper manipulation of the winches 71, 68, 69, thebarge may be made to shift against the beam 45 and the hydrauliccylinders 48, 49 are extended to clamp the barge in a position betweenthe lower beams 47 and the structural beams 41. Upon the outer ringsbeing rotated up their respective ramps or tracks to the uppermostposition, as shown in FIG. 3, the winches 68, 69 are operated to causethe inner Wheel structures to rotate and tilt the barge 35 into aninclined position. At this time the grain, coal, or other material willgravitate out of the open top of the barge 45 onto the inclined surface28 to be guided into the bunk or trench 29. A mechanical conveyor may beinstalled on the floor of the bunk 29 to automatically move material asit enters or bulldozers and power loaders may move into the bunks toremove the material.

Following discharge, the cables 37, 56 may be manipulated by theirrespective winches to cause the outer rolls or rings to move down theramps to the opposite side of the channel and to come to rest in therespective recesses 17, 18 and 19, and to place the unloaded barge 45 inthe floating position. The clamping beam 47 is raised upon the bargeapproaching a horizontal position. The barge may then be floated out ofthe channel 11 by a suitable tow boat.

While only one form of the invention has been shown, it is recognizedthat other forms and variations may occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for unloading a boat comprising: a concrete structurepart of which is in the water adjacent the shore and having parallelupwardly opening transverse grooves spaced longitudinally along theshore and extending from the shore into the water, with each groovehaving opposed longitudinally spaced upright walls extending upwardlyfrom a base ramp, the concrete structure further having a longitudinalupright wall spaced from and in opposed relation to the shore withupright recessed portions in alignment with the grooves; 21 plurality oflongitudinally spaced upright boat-supporting structures supported inthe grooves and on the respective ramps, with each boat-supportingstructure having a first part with a lower transverse portion adapted tobe guided in a groove and to move up and down the ramp of the respectivegroove, the first part further having an outer side thereof adapted tobe received in the respective recessed portion aligned with the groove,said boat-supporting structure further having upwardly opening cradleportions supported for tilting movement in the first parts and adaptedto receive longitudinally spaced portions of a boat whereby a boatcradled in the cradle portions may be inclined for purposes ofdischarging material from the boat; and power means on the shoreconnected to the boat supporting structures for moving the structures inunison along the ramps.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by eachof the cradle portions being composed of a transverse horizontallydisposed structural member adapted to underlie and engage the hull ofthe boat and a pair of upright structural members adapted fordisposition alongside opposite sides of the boat.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which each cradle portion isdisposed beneath the boat, and further characterized by structurepositioned above the boat and adapted to engage the boat to cause it tobe clamped in the cradle portion of the boat-supporting structure.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 3 in which the structure abovethe boat is in the form of a beam supported for vertical movement andadapted to engage the top of the boat and the beam is moved by hydraulicmeans between the boat-supporting structure and the beam.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the first part of theboat-supporting structures is an outer annular structure adapted to rollup and down the respective ramp and to be guided in the respectivegroove.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the outer annularstructures have internal radial grooves, and each cradle portion iscomposed of a spokelike 5 6 structure having rollers riding in thegroove of its an- FOREIGN PATENTS nular structure to permit the cradleportion to tilt within 240 600 10/1925 Great Britain its annularstructure.

1,300,883 7/1962 France.

References Cited 5 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 185,596 12/1876 Van Dusen 214-46.32X 603,3365/1898 Long.

758,191 4/1904- lRobertson 214-52 X 10 214-1, 46.32

FRANK E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner.

